Buhari Signs 16 Constitution Amendment Bills Into Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 Constitution amendment bills into law.

The Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, revealed this in a series of tweets on his Twitter page, on Friday.

He said the president signed the Constitution amendment bills into law on Friday afternoon.

In the bills signed into law, state Houses of Assembly & Judiciaries now have constitutionally-guaranteed financial
independence, while Railways have moved from Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent List.

According to the amendment, states can now generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid, which was not allowed pre-amendment.

Also, the Nigerian Correctional Service has been moved from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List.

This gives states the power to establish correctional and custodial facilities, and state assemblies have the power to legislate on such.

The amendment mandates the president and governors “to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly…”

The bills also relate to the change of name of some local governments in the country. In Ogun State, Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas are now to be known and addressed as Yewa North and Yewa South respectively.

In Ebonyi, Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas are now to be known as Afikpo and Edda Local Goverment Areas respectively.